Name: Turkey Burger with Bayonne Ham and Brie Cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1 lbs. Ground turkey meat (93% fat;); 2 Bread slices soaked in milk and squeezed out;; 1 Egg;; 1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese;; 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce;; 1 tablespoon Parsley;; 1 teaspoon Onion powder;; 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder;; 1 teaspoon Sweet paprika; ¾ teaspoon Salt & ½ teaspoon Pepper.; 1 large Vidalia sweet onions (or 2 small Spanish onions;); 1 tablespoon Butter; unsalted; 1 Olive Oil; Extra Virgin; Salt and pepper to taste.; ½ cup Mayonnaise;; 1 tablespoon Creamy Dijon Mustard;; 1 tablespoon Whole Grain Dijon Mustard;; Black Pepper to taste; 8 slices Bayonne Ham;; 8 slices Brie Cheese;; 4 Sesame seeds burger buns;; 4 Lettuce leaves;; Oil spray for burgers.

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Edyta

Author at Eating European

Recipe developer, photographer and the writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes

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Turkey Burger with Bayonne Ham – An American Classic with a Lighter Twist

I think nothing more screams ‘American classic’ then a Burger. All summer long you can smell it cooking on grills and BBQs throughout the neighborhood. I love a good ol’ fashion American beef burger with some bacon and cheddar cheese. However, I eat it very rarely. I try to watch my diet so I often substitute a turkey burger instead – it’s much leaner & lighter than its beef counterpart.

I also decided to use Bayonne Ham instead of bacon, to add some crispiness and saltiness to this recipe. It worked incredibly! Bayonne ham is a cured French ham that you can read more about in the next paragraph.

For this recipe, I created a mustard aioli with two kinds of dijon mustard (creamy and whole grain). It adds a nice flavor profile to this turkey burger. I also caramelized some delicious Vidalia onions (because they are in season and they’re super sweet).

I used brie cheese in this recipe for two reasons: (1) it always goes hand-in-hand with turkey meat, and (2) it’s French, so it pairs perfectly with my Bayonne ham.

Why Bayonne Ham + Giveaway!

You’ve probably heard of, and tried different kinds of cured hams, but have you ever heard about a cured ham that’s produced in France?

French Bayonne Ham is made with high-quality, whole, fresh hams, rubbed with a thick layer of special rock salt from the Adour river basin. On average, it takes 10-12 months to make a Bayonne ham, and the quality and care truly show in each flavorful bite.

If you’re interested in learning more, then go ahead and visit the Bayonne Ham website. You can also enter a giveaway, that’s hosted on Instagram, for a chance to win this delicious, melt-in-your month ham. Click here to enter.

What Ingredients are Needed to make this Turkey Burger

When I made these turkey burgers I didn’t just form a patty, as I would’ve done with a beef burger. The meat is much leaner and has a tendency to dry out. In order to make your turkey burger juicy, you’ll need to add a few ingredients to the meat itself.

Here’s a list of ingredients needed to make a perfect turkey burger patty:

Ground turkey meat (93% fat);
Bread slices soaked in milk;
Egg;
Parmesan Cheese;
Worcestershire sauce;
Parsley;
Onion powder;
Garlic Powder;
Sweet paprika
Salt & Pepper.

For your caramelized onions you’ll need:

Vidalia sweet onions;
Butter;
Olive Oil;
Salt and pepper.

For Mustard Aioli you’ll need:

Mayonnaise;
Creamy Dijon Mustard;
Whole Grain Dijon Mustard;
Black Pepper.

To assemble a burger you’ll need:

Sesame seeds burger buns;
Mustard Aioli;
Lettuce;
Oil spray for burgers;
Grilled Turkey Burgers;
Carmelized Onions;
Brie Cheese;
Grilled crispy Bayonne Ham.

Full ingredients list included in the recipe box below

How to Make This Turkey Burger with Bayonne Ham and Brie Cheese

I’d suggest starting with caramelizing your onions. You’ll need to cook it low and slow, so it may take a while. You can actually make these ahead of time.

Slice your onions;
Heat up your pan, then add butter and olive oil, onions, and salt & pepper;
Cook it for 45 minutes to an hour (mixing often), until your onions are caramelized.

Process shots of making caramelized onions

Carmelize your onions

To prepare the meat patties:

First, you’ll want to soak your bread for a couple of minutes in milk. This is a technique that my Mom used for all types of ground meat patties. It ensures that they are really tender and juicy. Once the bread is soaked, squeeze out the milk and only put the inner bread into a mixing bowl (you can skip the crust);
Then add turkey meat, egg, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and spices into a big bowl and mix it. Be sure not to overmix the meat. Otherwise, it’ll be tough. You can use a fork to do this;
If your meat is too wet, you can add a few bread crumbs, but don’t overdo it. You want the burgers to be slightly wet, as they’ll be juicier;
Form 4 patties and set aside.

Mix all burger ingredients and form patties.

Then prepare your Mustard Aioli and Bayonne Ham:

In a bowl, mix together mayonnaise with both mustards and black pepper. Do not add salt, as your mayonnaise, as well as your mustards, are already salty.
Place slices of Bayonne ham on a tin foil and get it ready to cook on a grill next to your burgers; once on the grill, let it cook for a few minutes to your desired crispiness (Note: I cooked my ham as I wanted it to add a crispy bite to a burger, but feel free to use uncooked Bayonne ham if that’s your preference).

Process shots of making toppings for turkey burgers

Mix your aioli and prepare Bayonne ham for grilling.

To make Burgers:

Preheat your grill to hot;
Spray your burgers with cooking oil and place onto the grill;
Cook your burgers on each side for about 5-7 minutes (depending on the thickness of your patty);
Once the burgers are cooked on both sides, add some caramelized onions on top of each burger, top it with sliced brie cheese and let it melt;
Remove burgers from the grill;
You can toast your buns if that’s your preference; then add mustard aioli, a leaf of lettuce, a burger with onions and cheese and top it with crispy Bayonne ham. You can add more aioli on the top bun as well. Serve and enjoy!

Grilling turkey burgers and adding onions and cheese - process shots

Grill your burgers on both sides, add onions and cheese.

Assembling turkey burgers - process shots

Add mustard aioli and lettuce on the buns.

Assembling turkey burgers process shots 2

Add turkey burger with onions and cheese and top it with crispy Bayonne ham.

What to Serve with this Turkey Burger

This Turkey Burger is a pretty good meal on its own already, but you can serve it with your favorite side dishes. I decided to serve mine with a side Caprese salad with some extra torn Bayonne ham, just because I couldn’t resist it.

If you want to make the same kind of salad, just use some mixed cherry tomatoes, cut them in halves, add mini mozzarella cheese, a few basils leaves, and drizzle it with some balsamic (or balsamic glaze) and extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and add some thorn Bayonne ham. So good!

But as I said above you can serve it with any side of your choice. If you’re looking for some suggestions, try some of these: